


Escape

by MadalineGrace



Series: What's Your Emergency? [13]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Asphyxiation, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:22:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23747530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadalineGrace/pseuds/MadalineGrace
Summary: This couldn’t be real. That thought played on repeat in Eddie’s head as the weight of their current predicament settled in. People just didn’t get trapped in ultra-high-tech secret vaults filled with rare art in some millionaire’s basement. And they certainly didn’t have to fight a clock as said vault’s security system tripped.
Series: What's Your Emergency? [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688359
Comments: 10
Kudos: 187





	Escape

_This couldn’t be real._

That thought played on repeat in Eddie’s head as the weight of their current predicament settled in. This just didn’t happen in real life. In movies? Sure. This was a scenario almost certainly ripped from a James Bond or Mission Impossible flick. Not a boring Tuesday in Bel Air. In real life, people didn’t get trapped in ultra-high-tech secret vaults filled with rare art in some millionaire’s basement. And they certainly didn’t have to fight a clock as said vault’s security system tripped.

“Uh oh…” Muttered Buck as he stared wide-eyed at the heavy glass door that had just crashed down in front of their only exit. Eddie started for his radio, but paused at the sound a loud, metallic clang.

“Well that can’t be good.” He said pointing up at the vents. In unison, he and Buck looked up at Bobby standing just on the other side, looking scared and stressed.

“Bobby?” Buck fought to keep his voice even as he spoke into his comm. “You wanna tell us what’s going on here?” By the look on Bobby’s face, Buck wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“The vault’s fire containment system has been activated.”

“How? There’s no…oh.” Eddie trailed off as he glanced down at the slightly smoking mechanical jack on the floor. They’d used it to lift the heavy sculpture that had fallen on the owner. As soon as they’d gotten him free, the motor in the jack had shorted out. While the others had left to escort the unconscious man to the ambulance, Buck and Eddie had stayed behind to figure out how to move it without breaking the apparently priceless statue.

“Fire containment? What, like a bunch of halon is gonna get dumped on us?” Buck asked.

“Not exactly. This system is designed to protect the art, so instead of water or chemicals, it sucks out the oxygen to prevent the fire from spreading. The owner says there’s a short delay before-“ Suddenly, the vents began hissing loudly as several sets of fans kicked on. Eddie swallowed.

“Delay’s over, Cap! Is there a shut off somewhere?”

“We’re working on it, but the owner is the only one who had that information. Chim is in contact with the security company now. There’s likely an emergency kill switch somewhere in the vault.” Explained Bobby tersely. Buck and Eddie were off before he’d even finished, pushing aside paintings and scanning the walls.

“How long we got, Bobby? Air’s already getting thin.” Buck panted as he clumsily knocked a portrait aside.

“One, maybe two minutes.” Bobby said grimly.

“Can you guys break the glass?” Eddie could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest.

“It’s too thick. This is meant to be hardened against an armed intruder.”

“I’m not…seeing anything.” Buck wheezed. He had to pause a moment to steady himself against the wall.

“Me either. I checked those two walls…or…did I? Don’t remember…” Eddie mumbled in confusion. Why did everything feel so heavy?

“Maybe we can…we can…” Buck lost his train of thought as the world began sliding away. A moment later, his eyes rolled up and his body slid limply to the floor.

“Buck?” Eddie jogged over on wobbly legs. “Buck, hey…no…wake up.” Eddie shook his shoulders, but his muscles lacked any real power.

“Buck! Eddie!” Dimly, he was aware of Bobby calling to them, but he sounded a million miles away. Eddie fumbled for Buck’s pulse, but either it wasn’t there, or he couldn’t feel his fingers anymore. He was so tired.

“Wake up…Buck…Buh…” He fought the encroaching darkness, but in the end, it was too much. As his vision faded out, he caught one last glimpse of panicked Bobby shouting into his radio before he collapsed in a heap on top of Buck.

* * *

Consciousness slammed into him with the force of a speeding ladder truck and he came awake with a gasp.

“There we go. You’re okay, Eddie. Just breathe.” As his lungs heaved in air and oxygen gradually returned to his brain, Hen’s warm smile began to take shape above him. “Welcome back.”

“Wha’? ‘En?” Eddie slurred, his voice muffled by…something covering his mouth. He pawed at his face and was surprised when his fingers hit hard plastic. Hen gently pulled his hands away.

“No no no, leave it on. You still need that.” Eddie blinked up at her confusion. _What the hell was going on?_ The last thing he remembered, they’d been on a call at some rich guy’s estate. He and Buck were in the vault and-

“Buck!” The memories caught up with him and Eddie shot up, his eyes casting around wildly for the other man.

“Whoa, easy Eddie. Just lie back and-“

“Buck! Where…Hen, where is he?” Eddie asked breathlessly. Hen tried to move in front of him, to block his view, but Eddie was determined. The moment he got a look beyond her shoulder, his heart seized in his chest. Before he realized what he was doing, he’d ripped off the oxygen mask and lurched gracelessly to his feet. Hen tried to push him back down, but even with him as weak as he was, she was no match for his stubbornness. Finally, she ended up grabbing his elbow and helping him over to where the others were gathered.

“They’re doing everything they can.” She murmured softly in his ear. Her tone was meant to be reassuring, but Eddie could tell she was fighting back tears.

Buck lay on the floor in front of them, ice pale and totally unmoving save for the rhythmic jolts as Chimney pounded on his chest with desperate intensity. Bobby knelt by his head, periodically forcing air past his dusky blue lips.

“Come on, Buckaroo. We are not doing this. You are not dying, you hear me?” Chim grunted, sweat pouring down his head. Bobby was muttering something quietly under his breath. A prayer, if Eddie had to guess.

“Buck… _no._ ” Eddie staggered forward and his knees buckled just as he reached them. Wordlessly, Hen crouched beside him, holding the oxygen over his mouth with one hand and squeezing his shoulder with the other.

“Checking for a pulse.” Chim announced. They held their breath as he jabbed two fingers into Buck’s neck. After a moment, he shook his head. Without pausing, Bobby leaned in and gave two more breaths before Chim resumed compressions.

“Come on, Buck. You can do this.” Eddie pleaded. He reached out with a shaky hand and gripped Buck’s arm as if it were a lifeline. Silently, he began bargaining with whatever deity was listening, promising anything if Buck would just _breathe._

Chim had just started another round when, without warning, Buck’s eyes flew open and he dragged in a ragged gasp.

“We’ve got him! Bobby, get that mask on.” Chim ordered before turning back to his patient. “Take it easy, Buck. You’re okay now. Just focus on taking deep breaths.” He instructed. Buck stared up at the ceiling, clearly not tracking any of what was going on around him.

“O2 sats are coming up.” Hen declared with a sigh of relief.

“You’re doing good, kid.” Said Bobby, his voice thick with emotion as he carded his fingers through Buck’s hair.

This was all too much for Eddie. Already stressed and exhausted beyond his limits, he couldn’t handle the strain of holding himself up anymore. He felt himself tipping forward until his head crashed down onto Buck’s chest. The fast, erratic pounding of his heart was suddenly the most soothing sound Eddie had ever heard.

“Whoa, hey! Eddie!” Chim yelped in surprise, his fingers flying to Eddie’s throat.

“I think he’s just in a bit of shock still. His sats are fine as long as he keeps the mask on.” Hen explained as she rubbed slow circles on Eddie’s back.

“Buck? Can you hear me?” Bobby asked. He held one of Buck’s too-cold hands between his own, rubbing it to bring some of the heat back. “Come on back to us, Buck.” Buck’s fingers twitched minutely before slowly curling around to return the embrace. Gradually, his eyes focused and he met Bobby’s concerned gaze.

“Bobby?” His voice was almost inaudible beneath the mask. “Whassgoin’ on?” Bobby couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud and tears spilled down his cheeks. It was filled with all of stress and worry from the day.

“Oh, nothing. Just you and Eddie giving me more grey hairs.” He joked, aiming for levity.

“Ed…die?” Buck mumbled dazedly. “Where…?”

“He’s right here, Buck.” Chim gently turned Buck’s head so that he could see his friend. Buck’s brow furrowed slightly at the sight of Eddie hunched over, shoulder’s heaving and forehead pressed into his chest.

“He…’kay?”

“He’s had a rough day. We all have.” Hen said with a small smile. “But all that matters right now is that you’re gonna be just fine.”

“Gotta stop…scaring me…you jackass.” Eddie grumbled without looking up.

“You…first.” Retorted Buck weakly.

“You _both._ ” Bobby cut in. His radio squawked a moment later, signaling the arrival of the backup RA unit they’d called. With that, they began the process of loading both men onto backboards, all the while keeping a weary eye on their vitals.

When it came time to transfer to the ambulances, it quickly became clear that there would be no separating the two of them. Eddie had latched onto Buck’s wrist with a surprisingly strong grip and, even though his hand trembled, it held fast when they’d tried to pry it off. Buck, for his part, was still mostly out of it. That is until someone attempted to pull Eddie away. The second they tried, Buck instantly became confused and agitated, his heart rate and breathing speeding up alarmingly as he reached out blindly. In the end, it was decided that it would be more detrimental to their health to transport them separately and they were carefully maneuvered into the same rig. By the time they reached the hospital, both men had drifted off. Bobby couldn’t help the fond smile that played across his lips as he opened the ambulance doors. Buck’s head had lolled to the side and come to rest curled against Eddie’s shoulder while Eddie had thrown a hand across Buck’s chest, just over his heart. They may be grown men, but Bobby couldn’t help the swell of paternal affection. He’d been more afraid today than he’d been in years. Things could have gone so much worse. For now, however, he chose to push those thoughts away and simply be grateful for what was, not afraid of what could’ve been.


End file.
